Biden administration withdraws proposed regulations on transgender athletes, student debt
What's the story
The Joe Biden administration has started rolling back proposed rules on transgender athletes and student loan cancelations. The move comes as part of a broader effort to keep President-elect Donald Trump from changing the rules to fit his agenda, AP reported. The Department of Education said the withdrawal was due to pending litigation on Title IX, the landmark law preventing sex discrimination, and gender identity issues, with over 150,000 public comments on the proposal.
Debt relief
Student loan cancellation proposals withdrawn
The administration has also rolled back student loan cancelation proposals that would have impacted over 38 million Americans. Nevertheless, the Education Department continues to forgive loans for 55,000 borrowers under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Expanded by Biden, the program offers debt relief to those working in government or nonprofit jobs for 10 years.
Mixed responses
Public reaction and future implications of regulation withdrawal
Melissa Byrne, a student debt cancelation activist, said she was disappointed but understood the need for this move. She slammed Republicans for keeping working-class Americans in debt. On the other hand, Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for Trump, accused the White House of making governance complicated with "red tape." Kate Shaw, a former White House counsel under Barack Obama, said administrations usually speed up or slow down rule-making during transitions.
Rule review
Federal agencies review rules before Biden's term ends
An anonymous administration official confirmed that federal agencies are reviewing which rules to finalize or withdraw before Biden's term ends. Despite not achieving widespread loan cancelations, the Biden administration has forgiven $180 billion in federal student loans through existing programs. The $4.28 billion in relief is believed to be the last tranche of public-service loan forgiveness before Biden leaves office in January.
Policy backlash
Biden's transgender sports proposal
Biden's rule on transgender sports was proposed in 2023 but was repeatedly delayed. It was intended to be a follow-up to his broader order, which extended Title IX civil rights protections to LGBTQ+ students. The sports regulation would have prevented schools from outright barring transgender athletes while still allowing schools to impose some limits, especially in competitive sports.